Lethal Hornet, Timid Healer
Disclaimer:
I don't own the rights to anything related to the anime Bleach
The rights to that anime belong to…other people…
Chapter 2: Advice and Development
Soifon casually made her way out of the 2nd Squad headquarters, occasionally encountering some of her subordinates who, of course, greeted her with proper respect. For some odd reason it felt strange, though she's been addressed in such formal manners for so long. Shrugging the thought away, she continued towards her destination.
"Hey, Captain Soifon," a gruff, familiar voice called out to her. She halted her progress and turned to face the tall man behind her.
"Hello, Lieutenant Omaeda…" she greeted her subordinate with an air of authority. He stared at her for awhile, cocking an eyebrow, as though something was wrong. As seconds passed, Soifon grew irritated by his stare, "What? Do you have something else to say?"
"No…uuhhh…it's just that you seem…"
"Seem what," she impatiently asked as Omaeda scratched his head nervously.
"Well…you seem…happy," he replied in an unsure tone.
"Happy," she questioned, taken aback by the answer, "And by that you mean?"
"Well, usually you'd tear my head off for 'disrespectfully addressing a Captain,' and you just seem a bit more cheerful…I guess you finally got a boyfri-"
"Don't you have some paperwork to do," Soifon 'reminded' Omaeda, glaring angrily at him.
"O-oh yeah! That's right," Omaeda 'remembered,' quickly taking his leave, "See ya later, Captain!"
She watched as he ran off in the opposite direction, eventually disappearing around a corner. Silently, she vowed to deal with him later before continuing her walk. How dare he talk so nonchalantly to her like that?
"Happy…tch…so what if I am…" she mumbled to herself. "And who does he think he is asking me about my boyfriend…I mean n-not that I have one or can't get one, but…" She paused and shook her head at the fact that she was defending herself from herself.
The 4th Squad Headquarters soon came into vision and Soifon casually stepped inside. Looking around at the building's white walls and light green tiled floors filled the Captain with a sense of nostalgia. She walked past the reception desk, obtaining a few greetings from the Squad 4 members stationed there, and made her way through the medical ward.
The relative quietness of her walk was eventually interrupted by a loud thump, followed by a familiar yelp. Soifon increased her pace, rounding the corner to see a fallen broom and Hanataro being held by his uniform and pressed against a wall by two Soul Reapers, both of whom obviously belonged to Kenpachi's squad.
Soifon watched for a second, remembering the first time she had seen Hanataro in a situation like this.
-Flashback: Soifon's hospital room-
Soifon was lying in her bed, quietly contemplating what went wrong the day she was sent here. She shifted slightly, attempting to find a more comfortable position before finally inching out of bed. For several minutes, she slowly paced around the room, her bare feet shivering as they hit the cold floor.
"How could I let something like that happen…letting that Arrancar's spiritual pressure slip past me…" she wondered, clasping her stomach as a sharp pain filled it. "And where is that boy-"
"Bu-but that's not really my decision!"
Soifon turned her head to the door behind her, recognizing the voice to be Hanataro's. She cocked an eyebrow at his tone, wondering what was happening out there.
"Listen up, Hana," a gruff voice threatened, "We're sick and tired of being fed the same foul tasting crap everyday!"
"Yeah," another, more pathetic sounding, voice agreed.
"Really? Most people like our fo-"
"Well we don't! And you better start giving us some real food or else…" the gruff voice interrupted in a menacing tone.
Soifon, irritated at her thinking process being interrupted, casually forced open the door. A loud sound resonated through the hallways as a result and another yelp was heard. She slowly walked out of her room, her hands behind her back and held there with an air of authority, turning right and spotting Hanataro and a 11th Squad member with the latter holding a fist to the former's face. The gruff man's mouth shot wide open at the sight of Soifon and he began to quiver under her irritated glare.
"Do you care to explain what you're doing?"
"Uh-oh, well, I was just…suggesting…to my good friend Hanataro a change in the menu…" the gruff man replied in more of a question format. He looked at his raised fist and quickly hid it, letting Hanataro go in the process.
"Really," Soifon questioned sarcastically, "Because it seemed to me as though you were threatening that squad member…" She pointed directly at Hanataro, never diverting her glare from the man, "And I'm sure you wouldn't want Captain Unohana to think that way too, do you?"
"N-no, Captain Soifon."
"I didn't think so. Now, you're going to go back to your room and if I catch you doing something like this again, I won't hesitate to 'deal' with you myself…and you wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"
"No, Captain!"
Soifon and Hanataro watched as the man quickly ran down the hallway, disappearing around a corner. Soifon turned her attention towards the boy, staring at him with underlying tenderness. He turned to look at her, bravely locking eyes with her for a few seconds before averting his stare to the floor in embarrassment.
"Th-thank you, Captain Soifon…"
"The noise you were making bothered me," she bluntly replied, turning her back on him.
"Oh…still…thank you, Captain," Hanataro repeated in a sad tone. Soifon glanced over her shoulder at him, quietly saying "You're welcome," before heading back into her room.
"…You should start standing up for yourself…" she mumbled loud enough for him to hear, "Because I'm not going to help you next time…"
Hanataro stared at her for the brief seconds she was still insight and nodded slightly. She glanced over at him one last time before shutting the door behind her, revealing the other man who was harassing Hanataro as he peeled off the wall Soifon imbedded him in.
-Present day-
Soifon let out a small sigh before rounding the corner and revealing herself to the group. The three men stopped whatever they were doing and looked at her, fear rising in the stomach of Hanataro's harassers.
"You again," Soifon glared at the gruff 11th Squad member, who promptly ran away followed by the other one, "Tch…I swear, Zaraki needs to keep those idiots on a leash…"
"Oh, hello, Captain Soifon," Hanataro greeted the woman, taking a modest bow as if nothing had happened just a few moments ago, "…Are you injured?"
"No…" she replied, realizing his want to avoid talking about what just happened.
"Oh, then what brings you here today?"
"I'm here to deliver some documents to Captain Unohana…but I'm sort of lost…" she paused for a moment, wonder why she'd make up such a lie, "Perhaps, if nothing is currently on your agenda, you could escort me to her office?"
Hanataro was taken aback by this request, which seemed more like a demand, and blushed. "U-uh, sur-I mean, yes ma'am-I mean no, there's nothing that I have to do right now," Hanataro finally answered, "I'd be glad to take you to Captain Unohana…"
"Thank you," Soifon replied, following after the boy.
He quietly led her through the various hallways of the building, the only sound coming from the contact made between their shoes and the floor. Hanataro occasionally glanced at the Captain, a feeling of nervousness taking over when he took into account who he was dealing with.
"How have things been?"
"Oh! Th-they've been just fine, Captain," he replied, blushing slightly, "Nothing's changed dramatically since your last visit here."
"Did you miss me?"
"Wha-what," Hanataro exclaimed, stammering as a million thoughts fluttered through his head, "Well, I-I, yes…but-I mean that-I do and all-but I mean we-Uh-um-no that's not it…" He continued this for a few more seconds, a smile of amusement forming on Soifon's face.
"There's no need to get so flustered," she mused before realizing her informal behavior and returning to her usual demeanor, "It makes communication with others difficult…"
"Oh…yes…you're right…" Hanataro replied, calming down a bit. He once again led her towards Unohana's office, an awkward silence hanging over them until they reached it, "Here it is."
"Thank you for taking me here."
"You're w-welcome, Captain Soifon…Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"
A few things popped in her mind, but she quickly dismissed them, letting the boy leave. She turned her attention to the door in front of her, extending her hand and tapping it three times. Unohana's voice gave her permission to enter, revealing an average looking office room with a wooden desk. Sitting behind it was Unohana, a warm smile on her face as she stamped a few documents and placed them in two of three stacks of papers on her desk.
"Hello, Soifon," Unohana greeted her fellow Captain, stamping several more documents as she did so, "What brings you here today?"
"I've come to return a document pertaining to your squad, which was somehow mixed into my documents," Soifon replied, pulling out the document and handing it to Unohana.
"That's all," Unohana questioned politely, stamping the document and placing it with other approved ones like it. This question caught Soifon off guard, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"Yes, I suppose it is…" Soifon replied, pausing for a moment, "…Is there something abnormal about that?"
"Oh, no," Unohana replied with her sweet smile, stamping another document, "It's just that perhaps one of your subordinates would be more convenient to use when you need something delivered."
"I wanted to make sure it was delivered immediately."
"I see, well I won't dwell on that any longer," Unohana smiled, stamping a few more documents before writing something on one of them, "…By the way…Was Hanataro with you, by any chance?"
"Yes, he escorted me here…"
"That's so sweet," Unohana smiled in triumph, confusing Soifon, "I suppose you two missed each other."
"What? N-no! I was just…" Soifon stammered, briefly pausing as she thought of an excuse, "I was just…walking through and we happened to come into contact with each other…"
"Of course," Unohana smiled, unconvinced by Soifon's reply, "Hanataro really is a sweet boy…a little bit shy and soft spoken, but he's a good boy."
"Yes…he is…"
-Outside of the 4th Squad Headquarters-
Hanataro was quietly walking away from the, now somewhat, depressing building. He was slumped over, his arms dangling at his sides like a zombie. He tiredly lifted his head from staring towards the concrete ground to the bright sun overhead.
"I made a total fool out of myself…" he mumbled, reaching out to the sun for no apparent reason.
"As if," a familiar voice exclaimed, interrupting Hanataro's self-pitying. He turned his attention to the voice's source, spotting Renji and Ichigo arguing about something.
"Tch, then why'd you ask me along," Ichigo questioned, obviously annoyed, "If you could 'handle things' yourself?"
"So you didn't feel lonely with Rukia gone," Renji replied, mocking Ichigo in a childish tone, "And we wouldn't want that happening, now would we?" The two glared intensely at each other, both reaching for their zanpakuto.
"Hello Renji and Ichigo," Hanataro chimed in, effectively neutralizing the situation.
"Oh, hey, Hanataro," Ichigo replied, turning his attention towards the boy, "What'cha been up to?"
"Oh…nothing exciting like you guys…" Hanataro replied, rubbing the back of his head as if a little embarrassed, "So, what brings both of you to the Soul Society?"
"Well, since I've had a lot of experience fighting the Arrancar, Captain Byakuya called for me," Renji stated in an arrogant tone that irritated Ichigo, "He wants me to relay whatever information I've gained from fighting them to him. I might even get promoted!"
"Aren't you already a lieutenant," Hanataro and Ichigo questioned in unison, causing red haired Soul Reaper to pause for a moment.
"Anyways…" he grumbled, "That's why I'm here. I just brought Ichigo along because, well, you know how he gets when nobody's around."
"Shut up, Renji," Ichigo snapped, returning his attention back to Hanataro, "You wanna tag along? I could use someone other than Renji over here to hang out with."
"Oh…uh…sure…" Hanataro replied, somewhat sadly. Renji and Ichigo exchanged glances at this behavior, eventually shrugging it off and making their way to the 6th Division Headquarters.
"You two wait here," Renji told his friends as he opened the door to Byakuya's office, stepping through it, "Oh, and find something productive to do, this may take a while." Ichigo scoffed at this, waving Renji off before he closed the door behind him. He let out a small sigh and leaned casually upon a nearby wall; arms crossed, eyes closed.
Hanataro quietly twiddled his thumbs, pacing slowly back and forth. He occasionally looked nervously around, resuming his walk shortly afterwards. Ichigo impatiently tapped his arms, looking up at the ceiling and letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Man…Renji needs to hurry up…" he mumbled, scratching his head, "…What if those Arrancar creeps decide to just randomly attack Karakura Town?"
Ichigo sighed, mentally dropping the subject for now. He let out a small "Hmm?" sound when he finally took note of Hanataro's pacing. He watched this for a few minutes, studying the boy's clockwork habit of looking around, pacing around some more, and then looking around some more.
"Hanataro…" Ichigo slowly began, obviously not grabbing the boy's attention, "…Uh…Is something wrong?"
The boy stopped his pacing and looked around as if trying to locate the familiar voice's source. He eventually spotted Ichigo and gave him a slight bow, "Hello Ichigo…What brings you back to the Soul Society?"
Ichigo cocked an eyebrow at this.
"What are you talking about," he asked, causing Hanataro to tilt his head in confusion, "I've been in the Soul Society for awhile now, and you greeted me and Renji awhile ago. That's when I asked if you'd like to go visit Byakuya with us, remember?"
"…Oh…that's right…" Hanataro replied, obviously embarrassed, "I'm sorry…I suppose I've just been out of it…"
"Is something wrong, Hanataro? You seem bothered by something."
"Oh…it's nothing I'd want you to concern yourself with…"
"C'mon, just tell me what the hell's bothering you."
"But I…"
"Just tell me! I mean that's what friends are for, right? People to spill your guts out to when something's bothering and pissing you off, right?"
"Friends…" Hanataro questioned, twiddling his thumbs in deep thought. A short silence fell over the two, with whatever audio coming from Byakuya's office quieting down. Finally, Hanataro looked up at the Substitute Soul Reaper and nodded slightly.
"Well…Let's just say that…" Hanataro began, his heart thumping in a nervous fit and his stomach tightening, "That…there's this girl you like…"
A loud thump sound, like someone making contact with carpeted floor, could be heard from Byakuya's office. Ichigo paid no attention to this, instead staring with wide open eyes at the timid healer. This was soon replaced with a huge smirk followed by him placing a hand on the healer's shoulder.
"Heh! So you want me to help you get a girlfriend, right," Ichigo questioned, smirking even wider at the blushing healer, "So, who's the lucky girl? Do I know her?"
"Well…I think you might…" Hanataro replied, still twiddling his thumbs.
"Is she in the 4th Squad like you, or part of another Squad?"
"Well…she's part of another Squad…" Hanataro replied, feeling a little nervous at answering the question. He paused for a moment, with Ichigo remaining quiet, waiting for the other half of the answer. This moment, however, was suddenly ruined when Renji kicked open Byakuya's door, revealing both him and a stoic-looking Byakuya standing behind it.
"So, is it Lieutenant Isane," the red-haired Soul Reaper questioned, inadvertently revealing the fact that he and his Captain had been eavesdropping on Ichigo and Hanataro's conversation, "She's the one you've got a crush on, right?"
"Whoa," Ichigo exclaimed along with Hanataro, who had nearly jumped out of his skin as a result of the outburst, "You were listening all this time? And you too, Byakuya?"
"Of course, idiot," Renji replied with annoying authority, crossing his arms, "Do you know how well sounds carry through empty hallways?"
Ichigo scoffed at this and turned his attention towards Byakuya, "What's your excuse? I didn't think you'd be into eavesdropping!"
Byakuya merely shrugged at this.
"So, it's Isane, right," Renji asked again, smirking at the timid healer.
"Well…"
"No! He just said it's no one from his Squad, idiot," Ichigo replied, "…So, what's her rank, Hanataro?"
"Is she seated or anything like that," Renji asked, slightly irritating Ichigo because he had just asked a question similar to that, "C'mon, out with it Hanataro!"
"Well…ye-yes…she is seated…"
"Interesting…" Byakuya stoically chimed in, receiving looks from the other three Soul Reapers, "Is she in a position that is higher than yours?"
"Yes, her position is higher than mine."
"So she's on top of you," Renji snickered. He quickly doubled over in pain when Ichigo elbowed him in the gut.
"Shut up, Renji…" he grumbled, returning his attention to Hanataro, "So, who is she? Is she…Rukia?"
"N-no," Hanataro quickly replied, fearing Ichigo's response if he had said anything but that.
"Is it Momo," Renji questioned, "That's gotta be who it is, or maybe that Orihime girl?"
"Orihime's not even part of the Soul Society," Ichigo groaned, shaking his head.
"Is it, perhaps, Kiyone," Byakuya questioned, receiving a "no" from the boy, "Perhaps…Nanao?"
"Captain Kyoraku's Lieutenant," Renji questioned, staring blankly at his Captain then at Hanataro, "Whoa, Hanataro, I never knew you were so into women stronger than you!"
"Bu-but, it's not-I'm not-Ms. Ise isn't the one," Hanataro stammered.
"Then it's gotta be…Rangiku," Ichigo exclaimed, puzzling the healer, "I'm right, aren't I?"
"Maybe its Lieutenant Yachiru," Renji joked.
"Or Yumichika," Byakuya chimed in, receiving laughs from both Ichigo and Renji, while Hanataro twiddled with his thumbs.
This guessing game went on for a few minutes longer, with Ichigo and Renji eventually listing off women not even remotely relevant to the Soul Society. However, they eventually got back on track and narrowed down their list to the only high ranking females of the Gotei 13 they could think of: The Captains.
"Maybe Taro's secret crush is Captain Unohana," Renji exclaimed, crossing his arms and grinning in triumph at 'beating' Ichigo to the answer, "Am I right or am I right?"
"Wow, Renji! I would've never guessed that Unohana is Hanataro's secret crush," Ichigo sarcastically began, smacking his head as if forgetting something, "By the way, what Squad is she the Captain of?"
"The 4th Squad, of course," Renji replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"You mean the one Hanataro said his crush wasn't in," Ichigo questioned, humiliating Renji who grumbled something under his breath, "I think it's Soif-"
"Ca-can we please forget about who she is and focus more on what I should do," Hanataro quickly chimed in, attempting to muffle Ichigo's theory. It worked, to an extent, as Ichigo and Renji began to think of ways to impress a woman.
A few minutes passed with each of them coming close to an answer, but mentally dismissing it midsentence.
"…Have you tried just talking to her…" Ichigo finally asked, "That's usually how most relationships start."
"Well, yes…I have talked to her on several occasions…but…" Hanataro replied, attempting to find the right words to say, "How do I know if she…well…likes me?"
"Hmmm…that is a tad bit more complex than a simple conversation," Byakuya answered, placing a thoughtful hand on his chin, "Perhaps you should show your affection subtly, so as not to come on too strong, such as by giving her a gift of some sort as a token of friendship."
"Yeah, like that pottery stuff we had to make when Rukia dragged us to that Soul Reaper Women's Association pottery class for a week," Renji mumbled, shivering as unpleasant memories engulfed him. "…So much clay…ugh…Anyways, why don't you give that special someone the bowl you made? It was pretty cool looking and you did get a lot of compliments for it."
"Oh…I kind of already gave her it…It was a 'get well' present for her…" While Ichigo and Renji didn't catch the significance of that statement, Byakuya did as evidenced by his cocked eyebrow.
"Well…ask her to go to the park with you or something…" Ichigo replied, scratching his head for more suggestions, "Or, if you can, help her out with whatever work she needs done."
"Yeah, just do like Strawberry here said, and maybe buy her some Human world candy or gifts like that. Also, never forget this one rule: Chicks Dig Cool Sunglasses or C.D.C.S."
"Cool sunglasses," Hanataro questioned tilting his head in confusion.
"Yeah, like mine," Renji replied, pointing to the high tech sunglasses on his head which held some resemblance to the ones Ichigo had destroyed, "They cost me half a year's salary!"
"Which you should probably be spending on something more productive…" Byakuya sighed.
"Yeah, but…" Renji was about to defend himself when a silly ringtone about bunnies went off. He looked around, a little embarrassed, before pulling a pink cell phone from his pocket.
"Hello? Oh, hey, Rukia…Me and Ichigo are in the Soul Society right now…really? What are you doing there? We came to see Byakuya and then visit you and Orihime…What, are you sure? Ow! You don't have to yell! I…damn it…she hung up on me!"
"What's going on, Renji," Ichigo questioned.
"Rukia says there's some low level Arrancar causing trouble in Karakura Town and she needs our help, pronto!"
"Tch, then what are we waiting for," Ichigo questioned in a determined tone as he reached for his zanpakuto, "Later Hanataro, Byakuya!"
In a flash, the two Soul Reapers quickly disappeared down the hallway.
"I suppose I should return to 4th Squad Headquarters…" Hanataro nervously laughed.
"Perhaps…" Byakuya replied, looking around as if something was bothering him. He slowly examined his surroundings, finding nothing in particular to be out of order.
"Well…good-bye Captain Kuchiki…" Hanataro bowed, drawing the Captain's attention back to him.
"Good-bye Hanataro…" Byakuya replied, reentering his office and closing the door behind him. Before it closed, however, he stuck his head back out and looked at the young healer, "Soifon is an extremely strong willed and intimidating person to those of lower ranks and power. If you really want to begin a relationship with her it will take time, but it seems as though you've gained somewhat of a head start. So, just let things take their course and try to not stress yourself too much…Trust me…"
The door closed behind him shortly after that, leaving Hanataro alone. Instead of panicking over the fact that Byakuya knew his little secret, he slowly took the Captain's advice in. He glanced down at the tile floor and then turned to leave, bumping into someone.
"I'm sorry, Hanataro," an unfamiliar female voice rang.
"It's o…kay…"
When he looked around he realized that nobody was there.
-The next day: April 1st-
Hanataro was used to this now. Every single year on his birthday, he would be pranked more often than usual and would be in so much pain that he would hardly be able to drag himself back to his room at the end of the day.
He let out a small sigh, slowly getting out of bed. He had often debated doing so on this day, but with the 11th Squad members being the brutes they are his schedule is usually kept full. This is due to their unfortunate habit of going Hollow hunting and beating the crap out of each other and anyone else who gets in their way.
He eventually prepared himself for the long day ahead of him, donning his uniform and black leather gloves. He also brought Hisagomaru with him, realizing a few years beforehand that it was useful in disarming most annual pranks. Afterwards, he made his way to his door, twisting the knob slightly. This was one such prank: "The falling paint can."
He opened the door ever so slightly as not to fully knock over the can of paint on the other side and then reached for Hisagomaru. Getting as far away as he could, Hanataro quickly opened the door with his zanpakuto and, as predicted, a can of paint and its contents came falling down, spilling all over the floor.
"Hmm…blue paint…guess they decided to switch it up a bit this year…" Hanataro joked to himself, sighing when he realized he'd have to clean this up. After doing just that, he cautiously made his way to work.
"Hey Hanataro," a fellow 4th Squad member greeted the young healer, raising his hand for a high-five. This is where the gloves came in. Each year someone would use this device called a 'Joy-Buzzer' to shock Hanataro when he shook their hand or high-fived them. The gloves would basically stop the shock, leaving Hanataro with actual joy.
He nodded at the Soul Reaper, giving him a high-five as he passed by. Hanataro let out a small, somewhat annoyed, sigh at the fact that even his fellow Squad members couldn't resist pulling pranks on him. Eventually, after receiving his assignments from Unohana, he headed outside and into more pranks.
Unfortunately, the 11th Squad members' pranks were a little more…aggressive…for lack of a better term. While he was able to avoid most traps, he was eventually caught in one that lifted him a considerable height off the ground, suspending him by a rope wrapped around his foot.
"…Aww…" Hanataro groaned, trying to figure out a way out of this. Using Hisagomaru was out of the question, considering how dull it was. Also, just hanging there wasn't much of an option either, as he was already starting to feel dizzy from the blood rushing to his head.
"Hanataro…what are you doing…" a familiar voice questioned. Hanataro looked around, spotting Soifon staring up at him.
"Oh…hello Captain Soifon…" Hanataro replied, embarrassed, "I'm just…hanging out…heh…"
Soifon stared at him for a moment, reaching for her zanpakuto. In one swift movement, Hanataro began falling from the sky and into Soifon's arms, turning his face a deep red. The Captain eventually placed him back on his feet and he bowed in gratitude.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes…I'm just fine…"
"Today's your birthday, isn't it," Soifon questioned, though she already knew the answer. He nodded. She let out a small sigh, tilting her head slightly and showing a somewhat concerned look. "Hanataro…" she began, remembering why she went looking for him, "Would you like to accompany me to the Human World?"
"Re-really? But…I'd have to ask Captain Unohana for-"
"I've already taken care of all that," Soifon interrupted him, smiling slightly, "She said it was okay for you to do so. I thought, since you've been in the Human World for a good amount of
time, that you could act as a sort of guide for me."
Hanataro paused for a moment before accepting Soifon's offer. Her smile widened slightly and the two Soul Reapers left moments later, a strange presence angrily following after them.
-A day earlier in Hueco Mundo-
Ulquiorra was quietly pacing around an empty throne-like room. The only sound made being that of his shoes tapping against the floor, creating a soft echo. He stopped his pacing, closed his eyes as if thinking, and took in a deep breath. A familiar spiritual presence caught his attention, though he never turned to acknowledge it.
"Lord Ulquiorra…" a female voice began, somewhat timidly, "You…you wished to see me?"
"Yes…" he replied, devoid of emotion. He turned to face the girl kneeling a few feet away from him, "I want to discuss with you your visits into the Soul Society…"
"Are…are you upset?"
"No…I'm more curious about why you would do such a thing…" Ulquiorra replied, receiving a somewhat confused look from the girl.
"Well…I…" she began, brushing her deep crimson hair back, revealing her light blue eyes, "I'm not entirely sure…I suppose I go just to go…"
"…Interesting…" Ulquiorra replied, turning his back on her, "You may leave if you wish…and you may enter the Soul Society as you please…But please do be careful you aren't captured, as it may interfere with Lord Aizen's plans…"
The girl nodded slightly before disappearing into darkness.